The present invention relates generally to an apparatus that can be used to lift a load from the ground to the roof eave or to the roof of a building. More particularly the intermediate cable fairlead or material loading device may be used in conjunction with a ladder and winch to hoist materials up to the eave of a roof and/or hoist materials from the eave of a roof to the peak of a roof.
Extreme difficulty is often encountered in lifting heavy objects to the top of a building, onto a roof, or from the eave of a roof to the roof peak. This can be accomplished with a crane, but the expense of using a crane is often prohibitive. For example, it would be too expensive to rent a crane to transport roofing materials from the ground to the roof or from the eave of a roof to the roof peak. In addition, it would be difficult and expensive to transport a large piece of equipment such as a crane to a job site. If obstacles do not permit a lifting machine to be used to lift materials from the ground to the roof eave, the material loading device can be used for such a purpose.
There is a need for an apparatus that can be easily attached to a single section ladder or an extension ladder and used to lift loads to the eave of a roof of a building. There is also a need for such an apparatus to allow lifting loads over the eave of a roof to a higher elevation on the roof. The portability of such an apparatus is important so that it can be transported to and from a jobsite easily and can be affixed to and removed from a ladder by a worker with a minimum of effort.
Moreover, the apparatus should also be capable of being used with a winch so that heavy loads may be lifted to the roof eave or over the roof eave to the top of a ladder positioned on a roof.